Michael Mawanda, the Patriotic League of Uganda’s (PLU) Head of the Disciplinary Committee and Director of Mobilisation, and also the Igara West MP, has been summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for alleged embezzlement of cooperatives’ funds.
Sources indicate that Mawanda, along with Nyasio Mudimi Wamakuyu, the Elgon County MP, has been called to explain accusations of corruption, theft, and conspiracy to defraud Buyaka and Bumwambu Growers Cooperative Societies. They are expected to appear before the Kibuli CID Headquarters on June 19, 2024, following a summons issued through the Speaker of Parliament.
In August 2023, Speaker Annet Anita Among ordered an investigation after a Trade Committee uncovered significant corruption. The committee found that a compensation amount of 143 billion UGX had been inflated by at least 48 billion UGX, implicating several MPs, including Mawanda.
Mawanda is no strange to controversy. In 2013, he was arrested in India alongside former Minister Isaac Musumba, accused of attempting to defraud over 50 billion UGX from directors of Videocon, an Indian electronics company. This incident is part of a series of dubious dealings attributed to Mawanda.
These revelations have sparked outrage within PLU ranks. Many supporters are calling for Mawanda’s resignation, arguing that his actions have tarnished the organization’s anti-corruption stance.
The unfolding scandal places Mawanda at the center of a significant corruption investigation, challenging both his political career and the integrity of the PLU.
